GOD'S OWN MEDICINE
"Drachma"
"Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost". Thus reads the quote which can be found in the bandcamp page of the Polish project God's Own Medicine. It is no coincidence, then, that their new album takes its title from the metaphorical currency which is referred to in that verse. Nor is it by chance that the excerpt had precisely been extracted from Luke's parable of the lost coin. To my mind at least, a parallel can be drawn between the woman's search for her missing drachma within that story and this band's artistic career which now spans more than twenty years. Currently consisting of mastermind Andy alone, God's Own Medicine seems to have found the right track by accurately tinging its indie proposal with goth rock forms in the style of The Mission UK or recent Love Like Blood. However, no matter what mode Andy is in. He manages to transform four-minute songs into small eternities and this is not within everybody's reach. For instance, "Rainbows" closes the album conjuring up those intimate rock dramas that the Eysel brothers used to do so well. The song pummels slowly through its funerary pace, aided by a heartrending mix of string vibratos, synths and vocal harmonies which ranges from gentle to harsh baritones as the lyrics require. Gracefully gloomy and emotive, this track is a highlight and speaks well of the band's abilities in gothic rock. In the same dark vein, but veering somewhere between Nephilim's twang-triggered realms and The Editors' synth-swept ballads, "Into the Sun" sounds kind of huge and mysterious despite its apparent simplicity. The guitar shimmers on "Glass of Jar" - paired with velvety bass throbs and raspy whispers - gradually raise the center of gravity, while the orchestral arrangements pave their ethereal way for the final ghostly rapture. "Low" delightfully fluctuates between light and shadows; there are silky, bittersweet choral lines - they remind me rather of Soror Dolorosa - combined with snarling entonations that at times bring to mind the The Merry Thoughts' frontman; and also glossy multi-layered strings are blended with thrusting, sinous riffs of guitar. All it works well and is cohesively joined by precise drums and resonant bass lines. But not all the songs featured in this record have been designed to blow the mind away. Titles such as the album's opener "Clocks", which is driven by hooky, mercurial grooves played on both the bass and the guitar, or the bombastic "Down Below", burning a post-punk/indie rock fuel mix within its 80's engine, should put your dance-resistance to the test. In short, due to this style variety and the plethora of duly assimilated goth rock influences, "Drachma" will appeal to a wide range of listeners whether they move in the dark music circles or not. One thing is clear, though: God's Own Medicine sounds now refocused, re-energised and ready to rewrite its history. In the light of the results, this is an smart shift to darkness that should not be missed.
Review by Billyphobia
- 01. Clocks
- 02. Down Below
- 03. Into The Sun
- 04. Wrong
- 05. Down Is The Only Way Out
- 06. Glass Of Jar
- 07. Low
- 08. Fever
- 09. Coin Of Gold
- 10. Rainbows